Life on the Farm

May 2029 - Pine Hollow, North Carolina
Gates family - Carrie is 65, Todd is 41, Rachel is 41, Vanessa is 12, Aaron is 8

Life on the Gates family farm is always busy. Carrie and her oldest son Todd work in the garden every day, planting new things, harvesting the plants already growing, and making sure everything has enough water.

His younger brother Nathan may have moved to Arcadia to get away from farm life, but Todd loves it here.

 

His kids try to help out when they can. Vanessa is really interested in the bees that live in the little houses they set up.

She’s watched her dad get the honey, so Vanessa decides to try it out for herself.

The bees don’t seem too happy to meet her.

Her dad and grandma come running from the garden when they hear her screams.

“Are you okay?” Carrie asks.

“Fine,” Vanessa says. “I was just trying to help out and the bees weren’t too happy about it. But I’m okay, no stings.”

Todd shakes his head. “You’re supposed to wear a bee suit before getting the honey to keep you from getting stung.”

Vanessa accepts her dad’s instructions, but she doesn’t plan on getting anymore honey anytime soon.

When she’s not defending herself from bees, Vanessa helps out in the kitchen. Her mom often has to work late at the police station and her grandma is busy in the gardens, so Vanessa has learned to cook several meals.

“This is delicious,” Carrie tells her granddaughter. “You are a perfect cook.”

Vanessa smiles. “I learned it from you.”

“Two perfect cooks,” her dad says from the table where he sits with Aaron. “You can win anyone over with good food.”

“I’ll remember that the next time someone at school is cranky about something,” Vanessa says.

***

 

Days at the station are becoming longer. Rachel stays busy, investigating different reports that come in.

She’s learning to do the analysis work in the lab too, so she’s spending some more time away from her desk.

But still, at the end of the day, each report requires a lot of notes in the digital files, and so Rachel finds herself in front of the computer even when what she wants most is to get out into the town.

Aaron likes days like this, when the sun stays up longer and he can play outside more.

He plays with his mom when Rachel is home from work. She works long, hard days at the police station, but she always makes time for her kids.

And Aaron loves hearing his mom cheer for him with every throw he makes.

***

Gates Grocery has been in town since Todd’s dad opened it long ago. Todd is proud to run the store and happy to talk with his customers.

Carrie works in a room on the side of the store, baking cakes and pies and bread to sell to customers. Everyone loves her baking.

 

 

Vanessa helps out at the store a little after school.

 

 

She’s not old enough to technically be a hired employee, but she certainly feels like she’s being worked hard some days!

 

When they’re not working in the farm part of the home or at the grocery store and school, Vanessa plays Don’t Wake the Llama with her grandma.

These nights in May are perfect for sitting outside and listening to the crickets as they play.

“Ha!” Carrie laughs when the game pieces crash into the table. “I win again!”

“You must be sending bad vibes my way, Grandma,” Vanessa says. “Three wins in a row isn’t fair.”

“Then you’ll have to set it all up and try again.” Carrie grins. “Unless you’re afraid I’ll beat you again.”

Vanessa scowls, but she sets the game up once again. She’ll beat her grandma at one of these games eventually!

 

The family dog Delilah loves farm life because she spends a good amount of time sleeping while the family works outside. A couch all to herself.

 

But she does get up from the couch. Aaron loves to play with her and she loves him too.

 

One night Vanessa decides to work out with her dad’s weight lifting machine.

“What are you doing?” Todd asks when he finds his daughter in this corner of the house.

“Building some muscle,” Vanessa tells him. “It’s needed on this farm.”

“Yes,” Todd says slowly. “I guess it is. But you do know it’s midnight and the machine makes a lot of noise and the rest of us are trying to sleep. We need sleep to do work in this farm tomorrow.”

“Sorry,” Vanessa says. “I guess I didn’t notice what time it is.” She flexes one arm. “But look, I think I’m already building muscle after my first try!”

"Well, don't rush it too fast," her dad tells her.

—————

The farm is off-grid, the only house I’m playing right now with this feature! It’s fun figuring out what they can and can’t use in this house. I should also add that this play was before Eco Lifestyle. The farm now has solar panels and other new additions.

 

I was looking around and spotted the moon shining bright over Pine Hollow! So pretty!